Hillcroft undergoes renovation, name change

Published 2:05 pm, Monday, May 22, 2017

Joe Anastasi, general manager of Hillcroft Village, and Kelley Braccia, leasing and marketing manager of Hillcroft Village, shown in the model unit at the renovated apartment complex in Danbury, Conn., on Thursday, May 18, 2017. less

Joe Anastasi, general manager of Hillcroft Village, and Kelley Braccia, leasing and marketing manager of Hillcroft Village, shown in the model unit at the renovated apartment complex in Danbury, Conn., on ... more

The 192-unit apartment complex on Clapboard Ridge Road also has a new name and attitude, not to mention new exterior lighting, stairwells, roofs, clubhouse, landscaping, shower heads and other interior upgrades.

The complex is now called Hillcroft Village and its new owners and management team are taking steps to make it a more homey environment.

“It’s a completely new outlook, which I think this complex is ready for,” Kelley Braccia, leasing and marketing manager for Hillcroft Village, said. “This property has been a staple in Danbury for years.”

Timberline Real Estate Ventures, or TREV, purchased the complex in December for $32.25 million from Par Hillcroft. TREV is based in Rye, N.Y. Hillcroft Village is now managed by Strategic Realty Management. The complex, which includes eight resident buildings and a clubhouse, has one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Built in 1973 and currently more than 90 percent leased, Hillcroft Village also has a pool, playground and fitness center.

The on-site leasing and management office is stocked with coffee, soft beverages and fresh cookies. Braccia said residents stop in to chat or suggest an improvement to the complex.

“We have an open-door policy. People don’t come here just to pay the rent or complain,” she said. “It’s a community. It’s not transient and I love that. This is where we are going with the rebranding.”

Hillcroft Village does not have an association board, but Braccia said residents make themselves heard. “They absolutely have a voice,” she said. “Everyone is involved here, even the residents.”

General Manager Joe Anastasi also has an on-site office and said the reception from tenants has been positive. “It’s a community and people love it,” he said.

Andrew Stark, CEO of TREV, is a South Salem, N.Y., resident and saw a unique opportunity to enter the Danbury market. Stark, a former home builder, said Danbury is a strong commuter and workforce community.

“I saw the opportunity to take an asset and improve it,” Stark said. “There’s a different energy at the property now. Our management style is creating a new-home feeling for tenants. We want Hillcroft to be relevant and modern and have a new level of comfort. It’s bright, airy and different.”

Stark is also CEO of Campus Evolution Villages, which specializes in off-campus housing in university towns. Campus Evolution Villages has properties near Yale University.

Each unit has been renovated or will be soon. New residents have some flexibility when it comes to the layout of their unit. The renovated rooms include new flooring, paint, showerheads and energy-efficient faucet aerators.